Corset



Oct. 27, 1925. I

R. DU F. ULMAN CORSET Filed June 4. 1924 2 Sheetson 1 Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT .oFFic v RQSANNA DU FORA ULMAN, or AURORA, ILLINoIs, .ASSIGNOR TO IN ERNATIONAL CORSET COMPANY, or AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or IL NOIS.

consE'r.

Application filed June 4, 1924. Serial No. 717,674.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ROSANNA DU FORA ULMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

' This invention relates to corsets, and more particularly to open front corsets of the type known as hip confiners, although'applicable to other types,

The object of the invention is to provide a garment which will be comfortable to wear and stylish inappearance, which will provide a desirable support and exert a gentle adjustable compression upon the underlying tissue, and which will at the same time permit a free movement of the body.

9 Another object of the invention is to provide a corset, the front sections of which are formed from a blank of substantially rectangular contour, contracted or shortened along its front margin by a system of 'folds or tucks, or by a system of darting, whereby the front sections will be shaped to fit the body of the user, will resist outward pressure of the abdomen, and present a desired flattened appearance.

The invention consists in the'arrangement and combination of parts illustrated, described and hereinafter pointed out in the appended claims, and will be more fully comprehended as I proceed to describe the same in connection with the accompanying drawings.

- In said drawings: I

, -Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a corset constructed according to my invention, the garment being distended as in use, and closed in front by hooks and eyes, some of the garter straps being broken away.

. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the outside of the garment spread out to more fully show the contour and arrangement of its several parts.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the front member, enlarged, the section being taken in the vertical plane indicated by the dotted line 33 in Fig. 2.-

.dotted line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank of the fabric from which a front section of my improved corset is made.

Fig. 5 isa front elevation of the outside of the front section showing a modification.

Fig. 6 is a section, enlarged, of the modification shown in Fig. 5, the section being taken in the vertical plane indicated by the Fig. 7 is a plan View of a portion of the outside of the front section, showing another modification.

Fig. 8 is a section of the modification shown in Fig. 7 the section being taken in the vertical plane indicated by the dotted line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a section, also enlarged, of another modification showing stiffening strips ap plied to the same.

Referring now to theconstruction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8, the corset as a whole is indicated by the letter A and it is composed of a back member B, two resilient members 0, G, and two front members D, D. The back member B is what I call a ventilated back and consists of vertically arranged side strips 1, 1, and intermediate vertical strips 2 and a plurality of transverse, spaced apart strips 3, 3, the latter being connected at their ends to the strips 1, and also being secured by stitching to the intermediate strips 2. This ventilated back member B is substantially like that shown in United States Letters Patent to- Charles H. Schopbach, Reissue No. 13,698, dated March 10, 1914, and therefore need not be further herein described. Its construction provides a plurality of open spaces indicated at 4, 4, which afford desirable ventilationand greatly enchanoe the comfort of the user of the garment.

The yielding members C, C are of elastic fabric or other suit-able resilientmaterial. They are secured at their back margins to the vertical strips 1, 1, of the ventilated section B, by a line or lines of stitches 5, 5, said elastic members C being similarly secured at their other vertically disposed margins to the adjacent vertical margins of the front members D, D, by lines of stitches 6, 6.

The front vertical margin of each of the front members D, D, is made relatively stiff by a fastening strip indicated as a whole by the letter E. This strip is preferably formed by doubling the material or fabric upon itself laterally and then sewing the folded over parts together by vertical lines of stitches 7, 7, suitably spaced apart to form pockets in which may be placed stiffening stays 8, of metal orof other material, as the manufacturer may desire. The stays 8 will preferably extend from the top margin only part way down the length of the pocket, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. To one of the metal stays 8 will be secured post members 9 and to the other stay, corset clasp members 10, of any suitable fastening means, whereby the margins of the strips it, E, may be properly secured as shown in Fig. 1. The pockets of the strips E below the stays S, afford suitable means whereby hooks and eyes 11 and 12 may be secured so as to project from the margins of the front strips 1*), E, in the usual manner to assist in locking thefront of the corset together.

The upper and lower margins of the corset may be finished by laterally extending bindings or finishing strips. as indicated at 13 and 14L respectively, and the usual hose supporters F, F, will be secured to the corset to depend fromthe lower margin thereof at desirable points.

The lower margin of the front members D, D, however, will be given a somewhat angular direction, extending from the side of the corset and upwardly toward the lower end of the fastening strips .13, E. It will be observed that the forward margins of the front sections D, secured to the fastening strips E, E, are perceptibly shorter than the length of the rear margins of said front sections D, which are secured by stitches 6 to the elastic members 0.

In garments of this type, in order to secure the desired smooth fit over the figure of the wearer, it has heretofore been necessary to cut the several sections of the corset so as to give them certain curved outlines, which sections when joined together as intended, provide the necessary material to cover the back, hips and abdomen and lit the figure of the user.

In a corset embodying my invention, on the other hand, the construction and method of manufacture is very much simplified. In my corset, the front sectionsD may be cut from a blank G, shown in Fig. 4, which is substantially of rectangular form, and this blank is then manipulated to fit the figure, by a system of folds or tucks, or a system of darting. The tucks 15 are formed by folding the fabric of the blank G and sewing the folded parts together along dotted lines indicated at 17. The tucks or folds are then bent or pressed down flat against the face of the fabric, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. It will be observed that the folds or forwardly margin of the section D. Thus the front margin of the section D will be made to conform in length to that of the strip E to which it is secured, and the lower margin of the section D will assume the desired curve or shape.

l prefer to make a plurality of folds or tucks 15 in the section i) and to locate one tuck centrally and in a substantially horizontal direction; and to locate the other tucks, one or more, on each side of this central tuck extending them also in a lateral direction, but inclined upwardly and downwardly as shown.

This method of forming the blank (1 in substantially rectangular shape and then converting it into a shaped front section D by means of folds or tucks which increase in depth toward the front margins of the blanks, results in giving a desirable shape to the front sections 1) so'that the latter will conform to the figure of the wearer, and is of yery great importance. The use of a plurality of tucks provides extra strength to the front section 1), pztrticularly over the abdomen, where it is desirable that the gar ment should maintain its intended contour and flatness. The tucked section 1) being thus strengthened, provides a proper support for the abdomen. The lower portion of the garment as a whole, it will be understood, fits snugly and securely about the hips and abdomen.

As shown in the particular instance illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the folds or tucks I are formed on the outside of the sections D,

and thus give an ornamental appearance to the garment, but manifestly if desired these folds may be placed on the inside of the corset.

Referring to the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, I use the same blank G to form the front section D but instead of folding said blank and forming tucks therein, l manipulate the blank by a system of i darting. This I accomplish by cutting out parts of the blank, severing the fabric along the dotted lines indicated by the letter a: in Fig. 4. I then fold the margins of the fabric along the severed edges to form folded parts 16, 16, and these folded parts are superposed and secured together by a line of stitches 15, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. Thus by forming darts in the blank G, the shortening of one side is effected and the front section D shown in Fig. 5 produced.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the blank G is also darted as before stated, by cutting along the lines 00, the cut edges are moved together and held in abutted position by over and over stitches 19, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The seam formed by the abutting edges and the stitches 19 is then finished by an overlying strip 20, the side tucks 15 increase in depth toward the front margins of which are turned under, the

strip laid lengthwise over the seam and the stitches 19, and suitably secured to the fabric by a line of stitches 21.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9, the blank G is shortened by either darting or tucking, as before explained and the edges 22 joined together by a line of stitches 23. Then the seam thus made is finished and at the same time stiffened by one or more stiffening strips 25 havin inturned margins, and secured to the fabrlc by lines of stitches 26.

It will be seen that the blank G may therefore be formed into the front section D by tucking Or darting in various ways, and that the same may be finished as herein shown, or in any other suitable manner. Therefore, while I have herein illustrated desirable methods of manipulation in manufacture, of a corset embodying my invention, I do not desire to be limited to any particular form, as, manifestly, my invention'is equally applicable to other forms of corsets than those shown in the drawings, and is susceptible of Various modifications.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a front opening corset, two inelastic front sections which extend over the ab-' domen and hips and at their rear slightly towards each other, and a back section comprising a central, non-elastic member and elastic members intermediate the front sections and the non-elastic section, each front section being of a single piece of fabric contracted at its front margin by tucks extending laterally from said front margin.

2. In a front opening corset, two inelastic front sections which extend over the abdomen and hips and at their rear slightly towards each other, and a back section comprising a central, non-elastic member and elastic members intermediate the front sections and the non-elastic section, each front section being of a single piece of fabric contracted at its front margin by tucks angularly disposed with respect to each other and extending laterally from and being of greatest depth at said front margin.

3. In a front opening corset, two inelastic front sections which extend over the abdomen and hips and at their rear slightly towards each other, and a back section comprising a central, non-elastic member and elastic members intermediate the front sections and the non-elastic section, each front section being of a single piece of. fabric contracted at its front margin, said front sections being adapted to resist outward abdominal pressure and being characterized by a desired flattened appearance.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afiix my signature this 2nd day of June, 1924.

ROSANNA DU FORA ULMAN. 

